SB 291

02-23 17:57  1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 291
                            Emily Buss proposes the following substitute bill:
1Student Transportation Amendments
                                        2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                             STATE OF UTAH
                                        Chief Sponsor: Emily Buss
                                               House Sponsor:
2
3   LONG TITLE
4   General Description:
5This bill amends a student's eligibility for state-supported transportation.
6   Highlighted Provisions:
7This bill:
8▸ defines terms;
9▸ amends a student's eligibility for state-supported transportation;
10▸ requires a school district that receives certain transportation funds to provide
11   transportation to certain students;
12▸ allows a parent to petition a school district;
13▸ allows the state board to designate certain transportation funds for a specific purpose; and
14▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
15   Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16This bill appropriates $500,000 in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2027, all of
17   which is from the Income Tax Fund.
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18   Other Special Clauses:
19This bill provides a special effective date.
20   Utah Code Sections Affected:
21   AMENDS:
2253F-2-403, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 23
23
24   Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25Section 1. Section 53F-2-403 is amended to read:
2653F-2-403 . Eligibility for state-supported transportation -- Approved bus routes.
27   (1) As used in this section:
28(a) "Crosswalk" means the same as that term is defined in Section 41-6a-102.
1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 291  02-23 17:57
29(b) "Hazardous route" means a path between a student's residence and the student's
30assigned school that a student must travel to get to school that contains one or more
31of the following conditions:
32(i) a highway the student must pass alongside or cross where:
33(A) the speed limit is 50 miles per hour or greater; and
34(B) there is no separated sidewalk or multi-use path;
35(ii) a route where a student must walk on the shoulder of a road because:
36(A) of the absence of a sidewalk; or
37(B) the sidewalk is not separated from traffic by a curb or green space; and
38(iii) a route where a student must cross:
39(A) a highway with four or more lanes; or
40(B) an intersection where pedestrian-involved crashes occur at a rate higher than
41the average for a similar intersection.
42(c) "Highway" means the same as that term is defined in Section 72-1-102.
43(d) "Middle school" means a public secondary school that provides instruction to a
44student between the elementary and high school levels.
45(e) "Sidewalk" means the same as that term is defined in Section 41-6a-102.
46   [(1)] (2)(a) [A] Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b), a student eligible for
47state-supported transportation means:
48[(a)] (i) except as provided in [Subsection (1)(b)] Subsection (2)(a)(ii), a student
49enrolled in kindergarten through grade 6 who lives at least 1-1/2 miles from
50school;
51[(b)] (ii) a student enrolled in grade 6, if grade 6 is in a middle school, and grades 7
52through 12 who lives at least two miles from school; and
53[(c)] (iii) a student enrolled in a special program [offered by ]a school district offers
54and [approved by ]the state board approves for trainable, motor,
55multiple-disability, or other students with severe disabilities who are incapable of
56walking to school or where it is unsafe for students to walk because of their
57disabling condition, without reference to distance from school.
58(b) Subject to Subsection (3)(b), a student is eligible for state-supported transportation
59regardless of the distance between the student's residence and the school if:
60(i) the student is enrolled in:
61(A) kindergarten through grade 9, if grade 9 is in a middle school; and
62(B) a school located in the county of the first, second, or third class as described in
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63Section 17-60-104; and
64(ii) the student's primary walking route to school is a hazardous route.
65   (3)(a) A school district that receives the transportation funds described in Subsection
66(5)(d) from the state board shall:
67(i) use the funds to provide transportation to and from school to an eligible student
68under Subsection (2)(b); and
69(ii) respond to a petition described in Subsection (3)(b) within 30 days.
70(b) A school district is not required to provide transportation to an eligible student
71described in Subsection (2)(b) unless the school district receives specific
72transportation funds the state board designates under Subsection (5)(d).
73(c) A parent may petition the school district's school board to designate a specific route
74to a school as a hazardous route.
75   [(2)] (4) If a school district implements double sessions as an alternative to new building
76construction, with the approval of the state board, those affected elementary school
77students residing less than 1-1/2 miles from school may be transported one way to or
78from school because of safety factors relating to darkness or other hazardous conditions
79as [determined by ]the local school board determines.
80   [(3)] (5)(a) The state board shall distribute transportation money to school districts based
81on:
82(i) an allowance per mile for approved bus routes;
83(ii) an allowance per hour for approved bus routes; and
84(iii) a minimum allocation for each school district eligible for transportation funding.
85(b)[(i) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b)(ii), the ] The state board shall
86distribute appropriated transportation funds based on the prior year's eligible
87transportation costs as legally reported under Subsection 53F-2-402(3).
88[(ii) The state board shall distribute state appropriations for transportation for fiscal
89years 2021 and 2022 using fiscal year 2019 eligible transportation costs described
90in Subsection 53F-2-402(3).]
91(c) The state board shall annually review the allowance per mile and the allowance per
92hour and adjust the allowances to reflect current economic conditions.
93(d) The state board may designate specific transportation funds to a school district:
94(i) for the students eligible for transportation funding under Subsection (2)(b);
95(ii) to provide additional bus stops, capacity, routes, or drivers; or
96(iii) for the purposes described in Subsection (3).
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97(e) If the state board distributes the transportation funds described in Subsection (5)(d)
98to a school district, the state board shall distribute the funds to the school district the
99state board determines to be in the most need of the funding to eliminate a hazardous
100route.
101   [(4)] (6)(a) Approved bus routes for funding purposes shall be determined on fall data
102collected by October 1.
103(b) Approved route funding shall be determined on the basis of the most efficient and
104economic routes.
105   [(5)] (7) A local school board may provide for the transportation of students regardless of
106the distance from school, from general funds of the school district.
107Section 2. FY 2027 Appropriations.
108The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
109   2026, and ending June 30, 2027. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
110   fiscal year 2027.
111Subsection 2(a). Operating and Capital Budgets
112Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
113   Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for
114   the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
115   ITEM 1      To State Board of Education - Minimum School Program - Related to Basic
116   School Programs
117From Income Tax Fund, One-time  500,000
118Schedule of Programs:
119Pupil Transportation - Unsafe Routes  500,000
120Section 3. Effective Date.
121   This bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.
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